John Royle Biggs

John Royle Biggs of Overton, Nevada, passed away on Saturday, May 25, in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

John Biggs was born on November 20, 1947, in Denver, Colorado, to Robert and Grace Biggs.  John grew up on his parents' ranch on the remote High Plains of northeast Colorado, near New Raymer.  He attended high school in Grover and New Raymer Colorado. He joined the army in 1967 and served two tours in Vietnam with the 118th Bandits, operating as a Bell UH-1 Huey gunship helicopter crew chief stationed in Bien Hoa in 1968 and 1969.

After the war, John worked as a welder at various locations in the western United States, ultimately settling in Overton, Nevada, where he retired in 2009.  During his working years, he was an active member of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and was a staunch supporter of union activities.  He married Jennifer Messina in 2000.

In his early school years on the ranch John demonstrated his athletic abilities, winning awards at neighboring community track meets. At an early age he was master of navigating the rural roads on his motorcycles for which he was widely and perhaps infamously known. He attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on several occasions.  He became a proficient mechanic. He had a lifetime love for other recreational vehicles, from dune buggies to electric bikes.

Overton was particularly attractive to John for boating at Lake Meade and excursions into the desert.  John was an active pilot for most of his life.  After a flight mishap ended his piloting years, he focused on building and operating remote-controlled planes.  When weather prevented outings on the water, land, and air, John enjoyed chatting with fellow radio operators across the country.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Grace Biggs, his stepmother Betty Biggs, and his step sister Jane Jackson.  He is survived by his wife Jennifer; brothers Robert and Richard (Jennifer) Biggs; his sister Maggie (Mike) Batterton, and step sisters Kathleen Stahla, and Sharon Brothers; and many nephews and nieces.  Memorial service time and location to be determined. 

Those who wish to remember John are encouraged to donate to a charity of their choosing.